I Guess I Need You
by FutureFox
Summary: What if Charlie went on the wild side with a few friends, what would the consequences be? How would the team react?


_I Guess I Need You_

"Bye mom", Charlie Conway called from the front door. "Charlie! Where we going?" Casey Conway called to her son around the corner. "Just a party." "With?" "Seth and Evan." "Okay", she held him by his shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "Back by eleven." Charlie rolled his eyes, "Yes mother." "Have fun!" But he was already gone. Casey sighed heavily, she was really beginning to worry about her son.   
Ever since Gordon had left the Ducks at Eden Hall, Charlie had been growing more and more distant and irritable. "Oh, Gordon when are you going to get with the program? He really needs you."

Charlie sat in the back seat of a speeding viper. Sixteen year old Seth was driving, his younger brother Evan was riding shotgun. They were both singing along to the radio, incoherently. Charlie rolled his eyes. _Great,_ he thought. _We're not even there yet and they're already wasted. If something happens I'll be glad. Bombay deserves it. I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! He thinks he can just enter and exit my life whenever he wants to. Well not this time. _Charlie knew the older boy escorts were no good but he didn't care anymore. Now Seth was picking up speed. He was hollering out of his mind, Evan was laughing and Charlie was getting nervous. "Okay Seth it's time to slow down." Wuss! We're just getting started Conway! WHOOOOOO!" "I'm serious Seth slow down! Seth look ou--!" At that moment they were blinded by a pair of headlights then Charlie's world went black.

**_Ring! Ring!_** Gordon Bombay woke with a start. Scratching his head he looked at his alarm clock. 2:00 a.m.?! Who calls at this hour? He was prepared to yell at whoever was on the other end of the line as he reached for the receiver. "Hello?" "Gordon?" It sounded like a woman. "Um, hi." "Oh my gosh!" She was fighting tears, whoever she was. "May I ask who's call--." "It's Casey." "Casey? What's wrong?" "It's Charlie…" She was physically choking on sobs now. "What about Charlie," said Gordon feeling his stomach drop like a weight. "Hr was in an accident. There were these older boys and they were drinking and they were driving and there— there was this o- other car. And it was really big. They uh…crashed. The other boys were killed on contact. Charlie's well…well he's in surgery." He couldn't believe this. Charlie Conway? His Charlie who he had watched grow up was--. "Will you come down here, please?" "Yes, of course I'll be right there. Casey?" "Yes?" "Hang tough." "I will." He had to take a few deep breaths before leaving. "I can handle this. He needs me."

When he entered the waiting room, he was met by a hysterical Casey Conway. She rushed into his arms. She was shivering so hard. Gordon wrapped his arms around her protectively. He looked around the room and saw Connie asleep on Guy's shoulder, Fulton who sat very solemnly, and Adam who was uncharacteristically silent, with red eyes. "You guys hear anything?" Casey stepped back to meet Gordon's eyes. "Well um he's still in surgery. He's got brain swelling. They're trying to relieve the pressure up there. He's never regained conciseness and they're not sure if he has any damage to his brain stem." "Jeez." Gordon shook his head.

A very tired looking doctor came up to the small group. "Mrs. Conway?" "Yes. Yes, how's my son?" "Out of surgery. There doesn't appear to be any damage to the brain stem, which is good. However his brain is shut down, which means he's in a coma." "Oh my--," Casey began crying again. Fulton sighed, Adam buried his hands in his face, Guy tightened his grip on Connie. Gordon stared down, he couldn't stand to look at any one. "Can we see him?" "Later." They sat silent for a few hours.

The next thing Gordon knew, he was being awakened by the doctor. "His mother thought you would want to talk to him," the doctor informed him. "Yes! I do." The doctor let him in the room, and for a moment he couldn't go in. How would Charlie? How can I face him like that? Suddenly he was aware of arms slipping around his waist. "I know, but you can do it." Casey, he thought smiling. "Yeah," he said and entered the white hospital room. He pulled up a small chair. Charlie looked fine. He looked good. Just like he was sleeping. The damage was on the inside.

Not just the damage to the brain, Gordon thought. The stuff I did to him. Leaving them all behind. "Charlie, hey, I'm so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." He wanted to keep talking but didn't know what to say. "You know, I've known you sine you were a little kid. Now look how you've grown. In all out rime together you have never quit, never! So don't you dare quit on me now." His voice started to brake, "Please, don't quit."

He squeezed Charlie's lifeless hand and cried. "Coach?" Gordon's head bolted up. "Ch-Charlie?" he called hopefully. "Coach?" "Oh, Charlie I'm here. I'm here son." "What happened?" "You were in an accident. A semi ran you off the road and you flipped." Charlie turned to his coach. "Where are Seth and Evan?" "Who?" "The other boys in the car! Where are they?!" "They, uh, they died on contact Charlie." "No." "I'm sorry but you're going to be okay and your mom and Connie, Guy, Fulton, and Dam are outside." "So they're just dead?" "Yeah, kid." Charlie felt like he had just been slapped in the face. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He couldn't cry though, it hurt too much. Man he was in pain. Gordon didn't know quite how to bring comfort to the injured boy. Especially since they had become so estranged.

Gordon just had to get out of there. "I'll get your mom and a doctor." Before Charlie could say anything his coach was gone. He really needed him after all.

Gordon rushed into the hallway almost on the brink of tears. "Gordon! What's wrong?" "Nothing", he reassured Casey, "he's awake. I had to tell him his friends died." "He's awake?! I've got to go talk to him." Then she was gone and he was alone. "He hates me."

A few weeks later Charlie's conditioned had greatly improved and was released to go home. All the Ducks were with him and Casey held his hand. Charlie didn't talk much. He just smiled faintly. "Where's Bombay?" Everyone's grin faded. "He had the thing," offered Goldberg. "Yeah, the thing," Connie chimed in. "Right with the people," finished Adam. "Right, I get it," Charlie said sullenly. "Okay kiddo you ready to go?" His mom tried to be bright. "Yeah, finally!"

Gordon was standing in the middle of the ice rink, thinking. He knew Charlie had been discharged that day. _He didn't want me there, this is best. He doesn't need me. _

"Hey coach." Gordon turned to see Charlie smiling weakly. "Charlie!" He turned immediately. Charlie put his hand up, telling him to stay put. Charlie eased his way onto the ice until he was a few feet away from his former coach. "What are you doing here? You should be resting. Does your mother know you're here? Are you okay?" Coach, take a breath. Mom knows, I've been resting all month, I'm fine and I came because I want to talk." "Okay what about?" "Why weren't you there this morning?" "Charlie you didn't want me there" "When did I sat that?" Gordon looked at his feet somewhat ashamed.

"You have know idea how much I wanted you there, how much I needed you there, how much it meant that you were there when I woke up, and how much you hurt me when you left." Charlie was sincere. Gordon's heart shattered. He was overjoyed that Charlie didn't hate him. "Charlie," his voice was wavering, "I never meant to hurt you or anyone else. I just didn't think you wanted me there." There was more but the man didn't trust himself no to cry.

"That's ridiculous!" Charlie insisted. "Yeah I was mad at you for bailing on us but I'll get over it. You're like my father." Now it was the ailed duck's turn to hold back tears. "I love you." "Oh, Charlie I love you too son." They embraced as sods came steadily out of them. Charlie smiled, "I lied when I said I didn't need you." "Yeah? Good." "I guess I need you."

The End 


End file.
